Sammy MackNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Nathaniel Sandler is the co-founder and head librarian of the Bookleggers Mobile Library, serving Miami with free books on a monthly basis at literary events throughout the city. He is a graduate of Vassar College, where he received a B.A. in Asian Studies. He spent two years living in Japan and teaching English. A lot of his current writing focuses on collections based object analysis, from South Florida museums, such a The Curious Vault at the Miami Science Museum. Currently, in addition to the Miami Science Museum, he writes for the University of Miami Special Collections Library, the Miami Rail, ArtSlant, Red Flag Magazine, Where Magazine and many others. He owns a canoe and is terrible at softball. NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Nathaniel SandlerThu, 08 Dec 2016 03:50:27 +0000Nathaniel Sandlerhttp://wlrn.org
Nathaniel Sandler Barring any drastic moves by the Miami city commissioners Thursday, the controversial Tequesta site unearthed downtown will have a marquee showcase from the sidewalk and numerous interpretation options for visitors. City commissioners should not take issue with the compromise in their meeting tomorrow, as it appears all sides -- archeologists, preservationists, and the developer -- are happy with the deal. After two grueling 12-hour sessions last week, all sides came to a compromise. MDM Development has agreed to glass enclosures over two of the "circles" of Tequesta postholes, as well as a see-through covering for a brick well thought to be part of a the mid-19th Century U.S. Army Fort Dallas. They are also going to pay for a model of Flagler's Royal Palm Hotel, which also sat on the site, a film as well as upkeep and interpretation provided by HistoryMiami. Noted Miami historian Arva Moore Parks said, "I think that it provides an opportunity to work together between the future andHere's What The Tequesta Site Downtown Will Look Like, And Why It's Great For Miamihttp://wlrn.org/post/heres-what-tequesta-site-downtown-will-look-and-why-its-great-miami
29823 as http://wlrn.orgFri, 28 Mar 2014 14:59:32 +0000Here's What The Tequesta Site Downtown Will Look Like, And Why It's Great For MiamiNathaniel SandlerThere are an exasperating amount of think pieces on the Internet about Wynwood. Its rise, fall, flourish and continued economic growth have all been continually documented both locally and across the world. There has been change recently and people have noticed. Businesses never thought possible are moving in while most of the serious, professional artists have physically moved their studios downtown, to Little Haiti and even Opa-Locka. There’s a bank moving in, a portentous capitalist omen for all things hipster and indie. What’s mostly absurd about the St. Petersburg-based C1 Bank branch slated for Wynwood is the art on the walls and the planned laser light shows at night when the bank is closed. “I'm morally opposed to it for many reasons, not least because they have lasers but don't have Catherine Zeta-Jones working her way through the lobby,” claims Hunter Braithwaite, editor of the Miami Rail, with a reference to the sultry heist scene from the 1999 film "Entrapment." He furtherWynwood Is Dead. Long Live Wynwood. http://wlrn.org/post/wynwood-dead-long-live-wynwood
27480 as http://wlrn.orgThu, 06 Feb 2014 05:28:03 +0000Wynwood Is Dead. Long Live Wynwood. Nathaniel SandlerBasel is back in town and the annual artistic spotlight is swiveling around Miami, highlighting nooks and crannies the city normally passes by with nonchalance. Now in its 12th year, Art Basel Miami Beach has not only grown, but changed the landscape of the city and South Florida. It’s easy to be cynical about the general milieu. I have been snarky about the crowds and traffic before and I most likely will be again. But taking a step back and appreciating what Basel has changed can be boiled down to a few simple questions. Would the brand-new keystone Perez Art Museum Miami have opened this year had Art Basel not shifted Miami’s prominence in the art world? Would Alex Gartenfeld, all-star curator and now interim director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami, have moved to Miami if Basel weren’t here? Would not just the whole art world, but more interestingly, the entire city of Miami be talking about Basel right here and right now? “I would say that Art Basel, in terms ofAs Basel Expanded Beyond The Beach, Miami Became Its Musehttp://wlrn.org/post/basel-expanded-beyond-beach-miami-became-its-muse
24607 as http://wlrn.orgThu, 05 Dec 2013 21:01:15 +0000As Basel Expanded Beyond The Beach, Miami Became Its MuseNathaniel Sandler On July 15, 1997 Gianni Versace left for the morning paper at just before 9 a.m. Nearly everyone in Miami and a great deal of people across the world know the story. The mentally unhinged Andrew Cunanan then tragically shot Versace to death on the doorsteps of his world famous mansion. Cunanan, who had already killed four other people, set off a manhunt and houseboat siege that captivated the morbid attention of the world. Thus the unknown fate of those world famous doorsteps and the building behind it was set in motion. But the recent sale of Versaces former home to the Nakash Family for $41.5 million has raised some concern. Nakashs representative Jon Bennett said to the Real Deal that the Versace Mansion could be an, incredible retail flag location, causing alarm from purists. He later told the South Florida Business Journal that the companys plans were not clear. Beginnings Of Casa Casuarina Alden Freeman was a classic early 20th century Renaissance Man. Once called possibly theNow Sold, Will The Former Versace Mansion In South Beach Be Preserved?http://wlrn.org/post/now-sold-will-former-versace-mansion-south-beach-be-preserved
22196 as http://wlrn.orgThu, 17 Oct 2013 12:13:25 +0000Now Sold, Will The Former Versace Mansion In South Beach Be Preserved?Nathaniel Sandler Making the decision to become an artist, whether in South Florida or elsewhere, is sometimes not an option. Miami based visual artist Kevin Arrow explains, every few months I promise myself to pack it up and take up knitting or building model cars. How Creative Types Survive And Thrive In South Floridahttp://wlrn.org/post/how-creative-types-survive-and-thrive-south-florida
21921 as http://wlrn.orgThu, 10 Oct 2013 16:01:50 +0000How Creative Types Survive And Thrive In South FloridaNathaniel Sandler A Florida Senate committee on gaming will take up the controversial issue of expanding casinos and gambling in the state at a hearing today in Tallahassee. The hearing will include a discussion between elected officials and analysts from New Jersey-based consulting firm Spectrum Gaming Group, a firm with strong ties to the casino industry. The company was commissioned by lawmakers to compile a much-anticipated report on the impact of gambling on economic growth. Flawed Gambling Study But when a 460-plus page draft of the report was released last Tuesday, it was plagued by questions and labeled as confusing by some key legislators. Initially, according to the draft report, it appeared that Spectrum found that an expansion of gambling in Florida would have only a moderate impact on economic activity, a finding which would have been a huge victory for anti-casino advocates, considering Spectrums well known ties to the casino business. Overall, Spectrum believes that the expansion ofSenate Committee Probes Gambling Issue With Authors Of Delayed Reporthttp://wlrn.org/post/senate-committee-takes-gambling-issue-authors-delayed-report
21425 as http://wlrn.orgMon, 07 Oct 2013 11:00:00 +0000Senate Committee Probes Gambling Issue With Authors Of Delayed ReportNathaniel Sandler In the last year, over $57 million in illegal assets relating to federal cases in South Florida have been seized by the United States government, according to data provided by the U.S. Attorney’s office in South Florida. $57,321,390.40 to be exact. It’s a common perception that Miami and the rest of South Florida was built on the drug money circulating from South America up through the rest of the United States. Films such as Scarface and documentaries like Cocaine Cowboys depict a world of fortunes built upon castles of pure uncut Columbian and protected by scary men with quick shooting automatic weapons. Part of the city’s overall brand is the lure of the illicit, but actually seeing numbers on the cash and assets broken down, is pretty astonishing: Administrative Forfeitures Number of Assets: 661 Asset Value: $25,597,476.01 Judicial Forfeitures [Civil and Criminal] Number of Assets: 235 Asset Value: $31,723,914.39 In terms of seizures, as with the number of indictments, number ofWhat $57M In Federal Asset Seizures Might Say About South Floridahttp://wlrn.org/post/what-57m-federal-asset-seizures-might-say-about-south-florida
21070 as http://wlrn.orgTue, 24 Sep 2013 18:58:01 +0000What $57M In Federal Asset Seizures Might Say About South FloridaNathaniel Sandler Three South Florida mayors were accused of corruption in August, offering up a salient, cautionary tale for anyone who puts their faith in Miami's elected officials. The mayors from Sweetwater, Miami Lakes, and Homestead represent a triumvirate of questionable behavior, a triple threat of public office tomfoolery and a real world trifecta of tropical sleaze. I ran an informal poll of friends and acquaintances and the major takeaway and dominant response is that nobody is shocked. This is where we are in Miami politics: "I'm not surprised." "Business as usual down here, no?” “Only 3?” “A Miami government official/politician/city employee getting brought up on corruption charges?? Shocker.” “Surely, you can’t believe the political apathy of Miami would create anything different?” And in truthful self-reflection, I can’t say I feel much different. I don’t imagine you, fair reader, do either. Even outsiders from other states and journalistic outfits have come to expect nothing less fromWhy The Arrest Of 3 South Florida Mayors Is Our Faulthttp://wlrn.org/post/why-arrest-3-south-florida-mayors-our-fault
20414 as http://wlrn.orgThu, 12 Sep 2013 11:00:00 +0000Why The Arrest Of 3 South Florida Mayors Is Our FaultNathaniel Sandler A new map clearly demarcates the racial divide in the United States through colorful dots, showing the demographics of South Florida and highlighting the striking partitions of how we live. For example, most people know that Miami Beach is primarily a mix of white and Hispanic and that North Miami is mostly white east of Biscayne Boulevard and predominantly black on the west side. But there is more that can be read into the map. Invisible boundaries are laid out beautifully, visually, and sometimes starkly, with the borders of neighborhoods and their racial makeup becoming breathtakingly obvious. People as dots hasn’t been this illustrative since Georges Seurat pioneered pointillism, except the subjects are real cities, towns, and on a grander scale our country and our collective identity. According to its makers at the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at University of Virginia, the map is meant to be a snapshot of the United States of America. There are 308,745, 538 dots onMap Of South Florida Shows How Racially Segregated We Arehttp://wlrn.org/post/map-south-florida-shows-how-racially-segregated-we-are
20179 as http://wlrn.orgFri, 06 Sep 2013 16:32:37 +0000Map Of South Florida Shows How Racially Segregated We AreNathaniel Sandler At dusk during a hot Miami summer, when you’re outside getting chewed on by countless mosquitoes, it’s easy to wonder how anyone ever decided to settle in South Florida. The mosquitoes, in fact, were so bad for some early South Floridians that they had rooms at the front of their frontier shacks called “losers,” which contained smudge pots and palmetto branches to literally “lose” all of the bugs from your body before entering. In the 21st Century, we’ve got unmanned aerial vehicles. Drones – not unlike those deployed across the world for national security purposes – are being considered for use through the Florida Keys looking for hotbeds of unruly bloodsucking activity. The local and national media have been all over the story about the possible move by Florida Keys Mosquito Control to deploy UAVs in their fight against mosquitoes. Director of the program Michael Doyle was somewhat taken aback by all of the coverage. “We’re used to being innovative here, but I had no idea that aPlanes, Drones And Dry Ice: How South Florida Wages War Against Mosquitoeshttp://wlrn.org/post/planes-drones-and-dry-ice-how-south-florida-wages-war-against-mosquitoes
19712 as http://wlrn.orgThu, 29 Aug 2013 14:00:00 +0000Planes, Drones And Dry Ice: How South Florida Wages War Against MosquitoesNathaniel Sandler What does an app born from the spirit of Miami look like? It looks like Sktchy, a start up mobile app motivated by Sketchy Miami, a blog and series of parties spotted around town two years ago where the goal was to create a portrait of every person in Miami. Sketchy Miami comes from a time when “a burgeoning artist community in Miami and the average Miami resident had very little interaction with that community,” said co-founder Jordan Melnick. He wondered, “how can we come up with a way to bridge that gap?” The city of Miami and its residents were the initial inspiration and now the project is hoping to take on the whole digital world. And “inspiration” is a word important to the team behind Sktchy the app, led by Melnick, who is also the co-founder and operator of the local blog Beached Miami. Inspiration is the word label for each photo on the app before a user renders it into a portrait. After the popularity of Sketchy Miami parties and the subsequent online fervor, Melnick andHow Miami-Based Sktchy App Turns Everybody Into An Artisthttp://wlrn.org/post/how-miami-based-sktchy-app-turns-everybody-artist
19165 as http://wlrn.orgWed, 21 Aug 2013 19:32:06 +0000How Miami-Based Sktchy App Turns Everybody Into An ArtistNathaniel SandlerIf you ever had his ear, you could ask basketball star Dwyane Wade how he makes a party classier. But since you probably don't, you should know that when he celebrated his birthday the day after the Miami Heat won its second championship ring, he invited the ladies of Verso Performance, a local synchronized swimming troupe to perform for his exclusive guests. It was a super VIP occasion, with no pictures allowed, on the roof of a building in downtown Miami. Each girl in the troupe wore a hat with his name and the number 3 emblazoned on it. Every four years the summer Olympics rolls around again and America tunes in to certain sports that it seemingly forgets about. Synchronized swimming is one of them. It’s a sport embodied by beautiful spectacle wrapped in athleticism and charm. The ladies of Verso are keeping that spirit alive and constant in Miami. The troupe is the brainchild of local artist Monica Lopez De Victoria and her partner Julie Lucas. Lopez De Victoria, known in Miami asMiami, Synchronized Swimming And The Beautiful Ladies Of Versohttp://wlrn.org/post/miami-synchronized-swimming-and-beautiful-ladies-verso
18621 as http://wlrn.orgWed, 07 Aug 2013 12:59:07 +0000Miami, Synchronized Swimming And The Beautiful Ladies Of VersoNathaniel Sandler On Northwest 36th Street, between Wynwood and the Design District, there’s a wall mural depicting a highly stylized Queen Isabella, the Spanish monarch responsible for fostering Christopher Columbus’ journey to the New World. The mural is a fitting metaphor for Miami for a few reasons; it’s a city which houses the wealthiest of the world, back-dropped with the mystique of frontier land. The mural was painted by local artist Diana Contreres and is found on the newly constructed Midtown Pawn Boutique, a high-end pawnshop that hopes to serve the rich and entrepreneurial. The metaphor of Isabella extends to a legend that she pawned the crown jewels to fund Columbus’ voyage. Though historians tend to see the tale as fictional, Midtown Pawn Boutique’s owner Adriana Jimenez Hernandez speaks about her with great pride. “That’s my girl,” she exclaims. Hernandez is a third generation pawnshop owner, and her family’s Jimenez Group is a major player in the industry internationally. Though luxuryA High-End Pawnshop For Miami's Rich And Entrepreneurialhttp://wlrn.org/post/high-end-pawnshop-miamis-rich-and-entrepreneurial
18506 as http://wlrn.orgMon, 05 Aug 2013 12:23:45 +0000A High-End Pawnshop For Miami's Rich And EntrepreneurialNathaniel Sandler“Who says that we get to kill all the books,” asked District 10 City Commissioner Javier Soto. Miami, apparently, does. The decision yesterday was made to theoretically close 22 libraries (10 storefronts and 12 branches) as well as lay off 251 employees. This number is presented as the worst-case scenario. While it could be less, the closings are nearly half of the libraries in Miami-Dade. It’s a common sentiment, with the Internet having overrun our daily lives, that libraries have become increasingly irrelevant. People don't mind the idea of "killing all the books," and that the debate about the fate of libraries came to the city commissioners of the county. They didn't kill all the books, but they definitely leveled a major blow. I think we often underestimate the importance of libraries. The Internet is a relatively new experiment, one on which America has bet a lot of her chips. Due to the constant access many of us enjoy, not everyone has a the luxury of a smartphone or laptop.Why Closing Half Of Miami-Dade's Libraries Is Dumbhttp://wlrn.org/post/why-closing-half-miami-dades-libraries-dumb
17537 as http://wlrn.orgWed, 17 Jul 2013 10:00:00 +0000Why Closing Half Of Miami-Dade's Libraries Is DumbNathaniel SandlerYour computer or cell phone, most likely whatever you’re reading this article on right now, could technically be illegal in the State of Florida. Which is great because I’m sick of my cell phone anyway, and often think that going back to the days of just using a pager would streamline my life. Though I would be out of a job. And theoretically, so would everyone who uses a computer at work. And all of my personal relationships would be put in serious jeopardy. My mother, bless her, would be very angry. According to a complaint filed by a Miami law firm, the great State of Florida has apparently taken an awkward step in the wrong direction with regards to both our technological well-being and future, as well as adherence to the United States Constitution. If we’re to read the law signed by Gov. Rick Scott banning Internet cafes and gaming the same way as the law firm Kluger, Kaplan, Silverman, Katzen, & Levine, it’s almost laughable to think of the implications. Relationships wouldHow In The World Could Florida Ban Cell Phones?http://wlrn.org/post/how-world-could-florida-ban-cell-phones
17215 as http://wlrn.orgThu, 11 Jul 2013 10:00:00 +0000How In The World Could Florida Ban Cell Phones?Nathaniel Sandler I am a recovering comic book addict that still likes to occasionally hurl himself off the flying wagon, preferably to be saved while assisting Batman foil an evil plan. My sporadic comic book benders usually end each year by spending too much money at the Florida Supercon that takes place this weekend July 4-7. In some sense, shuffling through the miles of comic books at Supercon is the world’s way of telling me that the Batman of my childhood is still here in Miami. Through honing my crime fighting skills in the pages of various comic books, my 14-year-old self understood comics as a safe place. One where good and evil were covered in shiny things, and good usually prevailed. I used to go to Bam Comics on West Dixie Highway, which is now closed. There was an old Asian guy with a bad haircut named Fred who worked there and once brought me all my favorite books when I had a tonsillectomy. I sometimes wonder what Fred is up to, if anything at all. But I know that the spirit of what heWhere Heroes And Nerds Meet: Florida SuperConhttp://wlrn.org/post/where-heroes-and-nerds-meet-florida-supercon
16808 as http://wlrn.orgWed, 03 Jul 2013 14:51:28 +0000Where Heroes And Nerds Meet: Florida SuperConNathaniel Sandler Game Seven was beautiful. Yet again the Heat turned us all into a stunning supernova of clanky pots and clinky pans. Everyone exhale. After the textbook magnificence of Game Seven, Miami is alive and absolutely knows it. This morning and for the rest of the summer the Miami Heat are our guiding knights and definitively the best team in the National Basketball Association. Coming off of one championship and smooth talking in to a second, “repeat”-ing is really exceptional for a sports fan. It means having a team that is an undeniable authority. This is a special team. Lebron is a special player. We walk these paths as a fan, sometimes broken and always stressful, yet we never realize the moment of pure bliss until it hits with a final win. The finals win. No matter how old or young each of us is, we will not see a team this spectacular any time soon. Possibly not ever again. So thank all that is holy that they are in Miami, and that right now they ARE Miami. Respect, hat tip, and flatMiami Heat Fans Share A Moment Of Pure Bliss, Againhttp://wlrn.org/post/miami-heat-fans-share-moment-pure-bliss-their-team-again
16204 as http://wlrn.orgFri, 21 Jun 2013 11:36:39 +0000Miami Heat Fans Share A Moment Of Pure Bliss, AgainNathaniel SandlerEveryone knows that South Florida has a seedy underbelly. The American fascination with crime-sex-and-violence-laden stories about South Florida has been going strong for quite some time, particularly on the silver screen. Miami Vice, paved the way for today’s Magic City, CSI: Miami, The Glades, and Burn Notice. You don’t have to dig deep into contemporary pop cultural output to see that people are intrigued by South Florida’s lure. We’re a rap star mecca, and there’s a party-banging mention of the 305 in a lot of catchy club tracks. An article penned by Adam Gopnik in the latest issue of the New Yorker does a decent job of following the late 20th century journey of the Florida crime novel. Unfortunately, the piece, entitled, “In the Back Cabana: The Rise and Rise of Florida Crime Fiction,” is behind a paywall, but it’s worth exploring to better understand the lineage we here in South Florida share with written crime narratives as well as various slinky women with muscle-bound henchmanHas South Florida Displaced Los Angeles In The World Of American Crime Fiction?http://wlrn.org/post/has-south-florida-displaced-los-angeles-world-american-crime-fiction
16067 as http://wlrn.orgWed, 19 Jun 2013 12:34:17 +0000Has South Florida Displaced Los Angeles In The World Of American Crime Fiction?Nathaniel Sandler Poor Tiago Splitter. He tried so hard to make a teeny dunk. When the Spurs starting center went up to throw one down on Lebron James with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Brazilian got waxed. Two plays later Lebron slammed a two-handed dunk off a steal, and it was at that moment you knew the Heat were relentlessly swarming, like a school of frenzied piranhas, and they would not be defeated. Not there and not then. If the San Antonio Spurs let the Miami Heat play even once like they did in the second half of last night's game there should be ample chance for them to steal a game in Texas. Like I said after game one, the Spurs are playing our game, fast paced and running. The Spurs just happened to turn the ball over more in game two, miss a few more shots, and open up a door big enough for an obese 33 point elephant to walk through. And most importantly, the Heat finally decided to play tight defense, oppressively all over the Spurs every second, like NSA operatives onHeat Swarm Like Piranhas To Beat Spurs In Game Twohttp://wlrn.org/post/heat-swarm-piranhas-beat-spurs-game-two
15515 as http://wlrn.orgMon, 10 Jun 2013 11:44:54 +0000Heat Swarm Like Piranhas To Beat Spurs In Game TwoNathaniel Sandler The opening sequence of last night’s NBA finals game against the San Antonio Spurs summed up the Miami Heat’s 2013 season under the big three of Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade. An electrifying dunk by Dwyane Wade followed by nine unanswered points and then a grinding hustle to get back in the game. We, as fans, must live and die with the unremitting arc of sports narrative and the sorrowful nosedives of emotion. The 2013 Miami Heat are like Agony and Ecstasy coming over for a dinner party to your apartment. Last night, we all felt a queasy gut wrench when Tony Parker’s floating bank shot fell in with a comically absurd 0.0000001 seconds left on the shot clock at the end of the game. We saw the squalid abyss of game one home-loss-misery. And it hurt. It was an unbelievable shot. Ugh. How is it possible for the best player in the world to get a triple-double and we still lose? I have been a Heat fan since Rony Seikaly. When I was 9 years old, that awe inspiring Lebanese manWhy Miami Heat Fans Must Find Solace In First Losshttp://wlrn.org/post/why-miami-heat-fans-must-find-solace-first-loss
15378 as http://wlrn.orgFri, 07 Jun 2013 12:18:15 +0000Why Miami Heat Fans Must Find Solace In First Loss